Image for representation.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Thursday urged the Narendra Modi-led Central government to revoke the 20% export duty on onions, citing the financial distress faced by farmers.
In a letter to Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, Mr. Pawar detailed the challenges confronting onion growers in Nashik, a key production centre, where falling prices are compounding their woes. Farmers are reportedly selling onions at an average rate of ₹2,400 per quintal, significantly below the cost of production. On Thursday, the farmers briefly stopped auctions at the Lasalgaon APMC, Asia’s largest wholesale market of the key kitchen staple in Nashik district, over the price drop.
“The unseasonal rains and shifting climatic patterns have already hit onion farmers hard. Without a minimum support price and under the burden of export duties, they are now being forced to sell at a loss,” Mr. Pawar stated in the letter.
Mr. Pawar, whose Nationalist Congress Party is an ally in Maharashtra’s BJP-led Mahayuti coalition government, noted that Nashik’s onions are highly prized both domestically and internationally. However, the Centre’s export levy has rendered them less competitive on the global market, exacerbating the crisis.
He has called on the Centre to scrap the export duty to enable farmers to secure fair prices and recover their losses.
The appeal comes as the Winter Session of Maharashtra’s State legislature unfolds in Nagpur, where the issue of onion farmers is expected to dominate discussions.
Published – December 19, 2024 08:02 pm IST
